Oil dispensing pump



Aug. 29, 1950 H. M. HANKS OIL DISPENSING PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1947 INVENTOR. HAROLD M. HAN/(S A T TORNE) Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING PUMP Harold M- Hanks, San Francisco, Calif.

Application March 21, 1947, Serial No. 736,367

lGiaims. 1

This; invention. relates to dispensing pumps for oil or other liquids. and particularly to. pumps wherein dispensing of a liquid is accomplished by pneumatic. pressure- The invention is readily adaptable to many specific uses but has been developed for, and will: be disclosed herein. in connection with its use: as: a means for dispensing lubricating oils at an automobile. service station, or the like. It is customary to store oils: in tanks resting: on the floor and to pump oil upwardly from the tankintoone or: two-quart. measures from which it is. transferred to the automobile crank case. Pumps usually of the gear" type actuated. by handcranks have been employed for this purpose, but are: unduly slow' and tedious to operate and are difficult to control when: it is. desired. to exactly fill ameasuring receptacle.

It is an object of this invention. to' provide an improved dispensing pump actuated by pneumatic pressure, capable of rapid and exact delivery of: any desired: quantity of liquid. It is also an object of. the invention to provide a simple pump mechanism which operates uniformly to dispense liquid from. a: tank regardless of the quantity of liquid contained by the: tank. Further and more specific objects andadvantag'es of the invention and the manner in which the objects are accomplished will appear from an understanding of the: following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an oil. supply tank and pump embodying. the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of. a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1;. i

Fig. 3=is.a section. like Fig. 1 of amodified form of the invention;

Fig. 4-. is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig... 3; and

Fig. 5- is a similar view of another portion of the mechanism shown. in. Fig. 3.

The invention employs the principle of pump ing, or displacing liquid ina tank. by the admission of air under pressure to the upper portion of the tank. to force the liquid through a discharge tube having an open. end disposedbelow the liquid level in the tank. However, as it is undesirable. and impractical to make. a large. tank pressure-tight, a small. auxiliary or pressure tank is. placed within the. large tank. with a valved 2 opening adjacent to: the bottom of thelarg tank. The auxiliary tank in the present case: is automatically sealed. opened and? vented in proper relationship to the pneumatic dispensing operation.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the conventional oil supply tank is illustrated at His. An opening H is provided in the top of the tank: for the admission of oil thereto and is covered by a con.- ventional perforated drainitray l2 which supports the measuring receptacle to be filled with oil from the: tank Hi. Within the supply tank and preferably adjacent to: the bottom thereof is an auxiliary or pressure. tank M with an opening it communicating with the interior of'the larger tank and normally closed by a hinged: check valveor foot valve: iii. A. discharge pipe I1 extends' from a point adjacent. the bottom of. the pressure tank l4 upwardly through the top of the larger tank. and terminates in a discharge spout l8, the delivery end of which is disposed directly above. the drain tray 12 which supports a receptacle (not shown)- to be filled. A vent pipe l9 also communicates with the pressure tank M at its top and extends upwardly through the large tank where it terminates in a vent valve contained in a housing an. Compressed air from a suitable source of supply (not: shown) is. introduced through a pipe 2! leading to an air-control valve 22; and this valve isconnected by means of. a pipe 23' with the vent pipe lit at a point below the. vent valve housing 28;. The air control valve 22 has an operating lever 24 extending forwardly through a housing 25 supported ontop of the tank Ill and serving to enclose the valves and pipes described. An access plate 261 may be provided on the housing to facilitate servicing of the mechanism contained thereby. The lever 24 is pivoted with respect to valve 2-2:, as shown at 21. in Fig. 2, and bears against a valve stem 28: of a valve disk 29; which normally closes the valve under influence of a spring Depression or downward swinging of the lever 24 therefore effects opening of the. air valve admitting air under pressure through the pipe 23 and vent pipe I9. tothe interior of the pressure tank Hi. Pressure within the tank insures tight closing of the foot valve 5- and causes oil contained by the tank to be delivered through the discharge pipe- I! and spout It. As best shown in Fig- 2 depression of the lever 24 closes a vent valve 32' contained in the housing 26 by engagement with the upper end of a vent valve stem 33. A vent valve opening spring 34 i und r compression between the:- top of the vent valve housing as and a collar fixed to the stem 33 so that the vent valve is normally held in its open position. A pressure relief spring 36 is interposed between a fixed collar 3? on the vent valve stem and a sliding collar 33. ihe valve-actuating lever 24 actually contacts and depresses the valve stern 33 through the sliding collar 38 and pressure relief spring which spring is somewhat stifier than the spring Therefore, if pressure within the pressure tank i4 is excessive, it will raise the valve 32 against the action of the spring 3t and provide a vent to atmosphere through ports 46] disposed in the lower portion of the vent housing 28.

In operation, as the vent valve 32 is normally open, oil within the main tank iii is free to enter the pressure tank 14 through the foot valve 15 and a sufficient supply of oil is contained by the pressure tank to more than fill the largest measuring receptacle ordinaril used. When the receptacle to be filled is disposed on the drain tray 12, under spout l8, the air valve lever 24 is depressed to at once open the air Valve and close the vent. Thus, compressed air entering the top of the pressure tank I4 efiects discharge of oil upwardly through the pipe I! and out through the spout Hi. If because of any stoppage or obstruction at any point in the system, pressure in tank l4 becomes excessive, the vent valve is automatically opened upon collapsing of the pressure .1

release spring 36. When the receptacle is filled and the valve lever 24 is released, the vent valve is automatically opened by its spring 34 ermitting escape of air from the tank l4 and refilling of the tank through the foot valve it.

In order to prevent any possibility of dripping from the spout l8 after the receptacle has been filled, a spring-closed check valve 42 is preferably arranged in the discharge end of the spout and will be opened onl upon the delivery of oil under pressure into the spout.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 2 wherein the same oil tank [0 is provided with a vertically arranged pressure tank 44 corresponding to the tank l4 shown in Fig. 1, and

having an opening in its lower end covered by a strainer 45 and normall closed by a foot valve 45. This vertically disposed pressur tank 44 has the advantage that it may readil be arranged within a supply tank ii! that has already been in service and maybe installed within the tank by insertion through a, relativel small opening in the top of the tank through which other types of pump mechanism have extended. However, due to the vertical disposition of the pressure tank 44, it will not be filled by grav ty when the oil level in the supply tank I8 is low. Consequently, a spring-actuated plunger is disposed within the tank to insure the entry through its lower end of an adequate quantity of oil for filling the largest measuring receptacle that may be used.

In Fig. 3 a discharge pipe 41 corresponding to discharge pipe H in Fig. 1 is illustrated as arranged coaxially within the pressure tank 44 and as supporting a sliding plunger 48 capable of reciprocal movement in the tank 44 in the mannor of a piston within a cylinder. A spring 49 seated at its upper end on the plunger 48 and at its lower end on a fixed collar 50 normally urges the plunger 48 upwardl to forcibly draw oil in through the foot valve 46. The compressed air inlet pipe 2| and valve 22 are similar in construction and operation to the same parts illustrated in Fig. 1. However, the air pipe 23 communicates directly with a head 52 of the cylinder-like 4 pressure tank 44, as shown in Fig. 5. A separate vent pipe 54 is provided in the head 52 and a vent valve 55 therefor has an upwardly extending stem 58. A spring 5'! corresponding to the spring 34 in Fig. 1 normall holds the vent valve open. A telescoping end piece 58 on the upper end of the valve stem 56 is held in an extended position by a pressure relief spring 59 which corresponds in function to the spring 36 in Fig. 1. The air valve actuating lever 24 may be depressed to open the valve disk 29 (see Fig. 4) in the same manner as previously described and will also engage the extension 58 of the vent valve stem 56 to effect closing of the vent valve at the same time that air is admitted to the pressure tank.

In operation of the form of invention shown in Fig. 3, when air is admitted to the upper end of the pressure tank 44 with the vent valve closed, the plunger 48 is depressed against the action of the spring 49 displacing the oil below the plunger and thereby dispensing it through the discharge pipe 41 and spout 18. When the air valve is closed and the vent valve opened, the spring 49 returns the plunger 48 upwardly to draw a new supply of oil from adjacent the bottom of the tank in into the pressure tank 44. The spout [8 of Fig. 3 is provided with the same spring loaded check valve 42 disclosed in Fig. 1. However, in order to prevent dripping of even that small quantity of oil which ma adhere to the interior of the spout at its very end and beyond the closed check valve 42, the end of the spout is illustrated as having a plug 60 provided with a plurality of small perforations through which oil under pressure will flow freely. The cross-sectional diameter of the individual perforations is however so small that a capillary effect will prevent the dropping of any oil from the spout when the pressure behind it is relieved.

With the invention herein disclosed, the filling of a measuring receptacle of one or two quart capacity is easil accomplished by simply depressing the air valve actuating lever 24 and as the receptacle is filled to its capacity the flow of oil through the discharge spout is instantly interrupted by releasing the lever which eifects immediate cutting off of air pressure from the source of supply and simultaneously vent'mg of any pressure existin within the pressure tank, as well as closing of the vent valve disposed within the discharge spout.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing liquid from a supply tank comprising a pressure tank disposed within the supply tank, a check valve for admitting fluid to the pressure tank from the supply tank, a discharge tube communicating with the pressure tank, valve controlled means for introducing compressed air to the pressure tank, a valve controlled vent on the pressure tank, means for simultaneously opening the air valve and closing the vent valve, and a pressure relief spring associated with the vent valve closing means to permit the vent valve to open for the relief of excessive pressure in the pressure tank.

2. Apparatus for dispensing liquid from a supply tank comprisin a vertically disposed pres sure-tight cylinder disposed within and extendin to a point adjacent the bottom of the supply tank, a foot valve adjacent the lower end of the cylinder to admit liquid thereto, a plunger in the cylinder, means resiliently urging the plunger upwardly to draw liquid into the cylinder through the foot valve, a discharge tube C u cating with the lower end of the cylinder, and means for directing compressed air into the upper end of the cylinder to depress the plunger therein and force liquid out through the discharge tube.

3. Apparatus for dispensing liquid from a supply tank comprising a vertically disposed pressure-tight cylinder disposed within and extending to a point adjacent the bottom of the supply tank, a foot valve adjacent the lower end of the cylinder to admit liquid thereto, a plunger 7 in the cylinder, means resiliently urging the plunger upwardly to draw liquid into the cylinder through the foot valve, a discharge tube communicating with the lower end of the cylinder, means for directing compressed air into the upper end of the cylinder to depress the plunger therein and force liquid out through the discharge tube, said discharge tube being disposed coaxially of the cylinder and the plunger being slidable thereon.

,4. Apparatus for dispensing liquid from a supply tank comprising a vertically disposed pressure-tight cylinder disposed within andextending to a point adjacent the bottom of the supply tank, a foot valve adjacent the lower end of'the cylinder to admit liquid thereto, a plunger in the cylinder, means resiliently urging the plunger upwardly to draw liquid into the cylinder through the foot valve, a discharge tube communicatingwith the lower end ot the cylinder, means for directin compressed air into the upper end of the cylinder todepress the plunger therein and force liquid outthrough the discharge tube, a vent with a normally open valve communicating with the upper end of the cylinder, andv means for closing the vent valve automatically upon introduction of compressed air to the cylinder.

HAROLD M. HANKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'EN'TS,

Number Name Date 1,241,889 Schauweker Oct. 2, 1917 1,804,449 Woodruff May 12, 1931 1,819,381 Palmer Aug. 18, 1931 2,026,226 Entrop Dec. 31, 1935 2,159,656 Focht May 23, 1939 2,204,838 Walstrom June 18, 1940 

